


A Shining Beacon

by Maries_Curiosities



Series: A Shining Beacon [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Genre: (maybe...), (more focus on fluff), (we’re all one big murder hobo family), Amnesia, Anxiety, Campaign 2 (Critical Role), Characters with anxiety and PTSD, Eldritch Gods - Freeform, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Plot Divergence, Fanart, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Lore Divergence, Homebrew Magic, Luxon Beacons (Critical Role), Mighty Nein as Family, Multi, One Big Happy Family, Original Character(s), Other, Planeswalker (dnd), Slow Burn, Thirsty for comments, dunamancy, oc-insert, trigger warnings posted in notes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-28 18:34:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30143814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maries_Curiosities/pseuds/Maries_Curiosities
Summary: A story where the Mighty Nein find a broken, scared girl within the depths of the Sour Nest and take her into their odd little family. Mysteries, secrets, and ancient sins will follow, and more than one great power will seek to control the fate of a child who can bend time. (Alternatively: the party adopts a dunamantic sorcerer)Starts around season 2 ep. 29New Chapter every Friday
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett & Yasha, Caleb/therapy, Fjord/Jester Lavorre, found family - Relationship
Series: A Shining Beacon [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999423
Kudos: 9





	1. Shackles

**Author's Note:**

> For everyone new to this series, I bid thee welcome! Some clarification before we continue further:  
> I don’t own or claim to represent Critical Role or Dungeons and Dragons. This is an oc-insert story centered around character interactions and subtle plot changes. I will do my best to adhere to the dnd magic rules note-for-note, but of course that goes out the window the second it’s needed for narrative reasons. So if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, I apologize. For everyone else, I welcome you to the chaos!
> 
> For returning readers, I am humble for your continued interest in this series and can’t wait to hear your feedback on the improvements(?) made. I’ll be sure to slip in some fun fanart as well, just for you guys! ;^)
> 
> (Arc One) Escape the Nightmare: chapters 1–?  
> (Arc Two) Waves of Destiny: chapters ?-?  
> (Arc Three): Into the Frying Pan: chapters ?-?  
> (Arc Four): And Into the Fire: chapters ?-?  
> (Arc Five): Fractured Loyalties: chapters ?-?  
> (Arc Six): Forgotten Bargain: chapters ?-?  
> (Arc Seven): Party Before the Storm chapters ?-?  
> (Arc Eight): Family Reunions: chapters ?-?  
> (Arc NEIN): Victory Has a Cost: chapters ?-?

Torchlight flickered undisturbed in the hallways of the Sour Nest. It was long into the night, and whatever guards weren’t asleep by now were otherwise preoccupied with keeping an eye on their prisoners, so most of the corridors and stairways were empty. It was far from quiet. 

Scuffling footsteps and hushed arguments quietly echoed throughout the chamber. It was accompanied by the clanging of heavy platemail, which, despite the best efforts of its owner to remain quiet, continued to clatter like banging pots. Everyone tried to avoid commenting, it’d only make their presence louder. Still, there was only so much ‘clang clang clang’ that Nott could take,

“Keg, could you be  _ any _ louder?” She whisper-yelled, her own voice carrying across the narrow hall they were in.

“Sure? Why not, Nott?” Keg rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything else Beau raised a fist, silencing them all.

Tensions were running high, and who could blame them? It had been an hour since they influntraited the slaver stronghold, and there had still been no sign of their friends, or key members of the Iron Shepherds for that matter. It didn’t help how damn quiet everything was! It put them all on edge, anticipating a trap being sprung at any moment. And yet it didn’t. To put matters worse, since they managed to rescue Nila’s family they were now down a member. Granted, they were at a disadvantage before but with Frumpkin poofed and the only shapeshifter out of commission, well, they had to resort to recon the old fashioned way.

Nott nodded at Caleb’s signal, poking her head around a corner to see what was up ahead. It was difficult to say for sure, since the corridor up ahead had an odd curvature that could have hidden anything on the other side. A trap, a cell, some guards. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to catch any movement. 

“Okay...I could be wrong but I think we’re good up ahead.”

“Hold on, lemme see.” Keg tried to peer over her shoulder, but a crack in the stone floor caught on her foot and she stumbled. Teetering to the left, she flew out her hands to catch herself on the protruding wall, only to fall through it with a resounding ‘skree!’. Her entire upper torso disappeared, making it look like her lower half was sticking out of the stone.

“Ow…” She groaned, getting up and phasing through so only her arm and leg were visible. 

“Oh no! The wall ate Keg!” Nott squealed before Beau slapped a hand over her mouth. 

“No Nott, I’m fine.” They could practically hear her rolling her eyes. Keg emerged from the wall, looking only a little flustered. Caleb reached his hand out, feeling nothing but air as it phased through the wall.

“Curious...” He muttered.

“There’s a uh, door on the other side. Might wanna check that out.” Keg added with a cough as she adjusted her chest plate. 

The others shared cautious glances, then followed the dwarf through the illusion. There they entered a tiny, cramped room with a metal door facing them. There was a heavy chain locking it, and there was no window, no keyhole, no slot that could allow anyone to peak inside.

“Well, this is strange.” Caleb commented.

“Do you think we should go in?” Caduceus asked.

“I don’t know, could be a trap.” Beau said, crossing her arms.

“Who’d make a trap then hide it behind an illusion spell?” Caduceus asked, genuinely confused.

“Oh! Maybe it’s a secret armory or storehouse with all their important documents or magical items locked up so nobody steals it!” Nott said eagerly, already leaning towards the lock. 

“Or some ‘prisoners of interest’.” Keg added, making air quotes. Beau crossed her arms but looked begrudgingly intrigued.

“Alright...maybe it’s worth checking out.” She relented, nodding to the goblin. Nott grinned, and started fiddling with the lock.

Caleb said nothing, cautiously running a hand over the metal frame. He didn’t sense any magic, at least from this end. However, stretching his senses further in the room met with a solid wall of nothing. Not even the absence of magic. It sent the tiny warning bell in the back of his head ringing, and he backed away.

“Iiiiiii don’t trust this. There’s something blocking me from seeing the other side.” He warned. “Maybe we should be more careful—“

“Got it!” Nott exclaimed. There was an audible click as the chain went slack, followed by an echoing thud as it hit the floor. They all tensed, waiting a baited breath for something to happen. Nothing did. Caleb only sighed.

With a curt nod Beau turned to the group, hand hovering over the handle.

“Ok. I open this door...and we run in. There’s no way we can sneak through if any of those fuckers are on the other side so be ready.” The others nodded, pulling out their weapons in preparation.

With one more nod, Beau thrust open the door and rushed in. The others quickly followed, but their weapons soon fell at their feet. 

“Uh...fuck.” Beau muttered.

It was a dark room without any light except the bit coming out from the opened door, even smaller than the one outside. Runes were etched all over the walls, catching Caleb’s interest instantly. There was barely any room for the five of them to fit without touching each other. Them, and the tiny body already inside. 

Slumped against the furthest edge of the room was an emaciated tiefling with lopsided horns, the shorter one being snapped in half. Their face was hidden behind a mess of tangled hair. Hands stood lifeless by their sides, each one encased in a metal brace strapped to the floor. They were wearing nothing but a tattered nightgown, which even then slumped past their shoulders to reveal bones pressing against wasted skin and caked blood. They couldn’t have been older than 12.

“Oh.” Caduceus echoed, frowning a little as he drew his brows together. 

“Well uh, you were kinda right Keg.” Nott said, lowering her crossbow as Caduceus continued to frown at the body. There was a shaky pause.

“We should, uh, probably keep going and…” Beau didn’t finish, catching the slightest rise and fall of the child’s chest. “Fuck, the kid’s alive!”

Caduceus’s ear twitched, catching a faint whimper as she said this. The child didn’t stir.He glanced at the others, who nodded him to inch closer. The child remained where they were, but as he crossed the tiny space he could see their shoulders quaking, the chains rattling as their hands remained strapped to the floor. 

The child’s hair shifted, revealing a gag and blindfold around their grey, grime-stained face. Caduceus instinctively reached out, wanting to lift the blindfold but the child reeled back, shrieking behind the gag and raising their hands up defensively. The sudden burst of energy didn’t last and they slumped back, panting heavily while doing everything they could to cower away. 

“Shh, it’s alright I’m not going to hurt you.” Caduceus said softly. The kid paused at the unfamiliar voice. 

“We’re here to help,” He continued, and her ears perked, “we’re not with the Iron Shepherds, we are here to rescue people and put all of this to an end. Will you let us help you?” 

Silence. But no resistance. His hands reached out again, and this time they didn’t pull back. He could feel them shaking as he slid his fingers around the blindfold, untying the knot. Their eyes snapped shut at the sudden exposure to light as he pulled the stained cloth away. The circles under their eyes were startling, lids so sunken in they looked more like empty sockets.

Slowly, hesitantly, the eyelids opened. He was surprised by how bright they were, even glowing in the darkened space. At first he thought they were purple, then blue, then lilac as the glowing irises adjusted, a stark contrast to their black sclera.

The child stared at him, eyes uncertainly flickering between him, Caleb, and Beau. Slowly they nodded, relaxing by a minuscule fraction. Taking this as permission he reached out his hands again. He paused before they could touch their face, sensing their apprehension.

“I’m going to take off the gag, is that alright?” The child hesitated, but nodded. He carefully untied the cloth. There was a soft pop as they stretched their freed jaw, the child wincing and licking their cracked lips. 

“Th-thank you, s-sir.” Came a tiny, feminine voice that was barely a whisper. The child dipped her head, looking at Caduceus noticeably less fear than before. Encouraged by this, most of the others shifted closer. Caleb was currently glaring at the walls, a frown over his face. 

“What is your name?” Caduceus asked.

“V-Valyria.” Her voice cracked and dissolved into a cough. 

Keg reached through her possessions, offering Caduceus a water skin which he immediately put to the girl’s mouth. It spilled over her mouth as she drank, trailing two clean streaks down the sides of her face and showing that it wasn’t just dirt that made her skin so grey. 

“How long were you kept down here?” Beau asked when Caduceus pulled the water skin away, barely giving her time to catch her breath. The girl flinched.

“A-a couple days….m-maybe weeks?” She muttered. “I was, in the cells for a a while but then—“ she swallowed, “then I got thrown in here. Since then I don’t know how long it's been, I’m sorry.” She flinched as if expecting to be hit.

“It’s alright. Are you hurt anywhere?” Caduceus gently pushed. Valyria hesitated,

“I-I’ll be fine.” 

She convinced no one. They could all see the bruises along her arms and neck, and the sheen of sweat over her forehead. Caduceus hovered a hand over her shoulder, casting a soft ‘healing word’, but nothing happened.

“That’s...weird.” He said, looking at his hand with a frown.

“There’s an anti-magic field here.” Caleb clarified, finally peeling his eyes away from the runes. The spell was complicated, and no easy feat for a novice caster. But why…

When his eyes glanced over to Caducues they instead met with the girl. He winced, a wave of unwanted memories scratching behind his eyes. Quickly averting his gaze he shuffled towards the door. 

“Unless you want to accidentally get trapped here with no access to magic I suggest we get out of here. Quickly.” He said, stepping out quickly before anything ugly could resurface.

“Oh! I’ve got it!” Not exclaimed, rushing forward and pulling out her lock picking tools. At the sight of her the girl gasped and shrank back a little, face draining of color when she did. 

“Shit! Uh, I’m not gonna eat you!” Nott panicked, trying to smile disarmingly but the jagged teeth were giving the wrong impression. The girl didn’t look sure, weakly glancing up to Caduceus for conformation.

“She’s with us, don’t worry.” He assured her.

“She’s a good friend, good with lockpicking.” Beau added. Valyria looked unconvinced. 

Still, she held out her wrists, watching Nott with eyes the size of dinner plates as she started tinkering with the shackles. It took a minute, Nott cursing under her breath as she fiddled with the metal tools and dropped them occasionally. Finally there was a click, and they pushed open the metal braces. Valyria’s hands shook as she brought them up to her chest.

“Th-thank you, miss...” The girl muttered, rubbing at her wrists with a still cautious expression, though not specifically aimed at Nott. Caduceus frowned at the greenish bruises covering her hands. Just how tightly were her hands confined? Considering the purplish tint to the tips of her fingers, very. The lack of circulation made the ribboned scars along her fingers more pronounced, though in the dim light he couldn’t see the extent of it. 

“Now what?” Nott asked the group.

“Can you stand?” Caduceus asked. The girl nodded quickly, using the wall to steady herself on  her spindly legs. Her face immediately went white. Barely two seconds passed and her legs buckled. Thankfully the firbolg caught her, but she winced all the same. He hissed at the sight of her back. They all did.

The rags she wore were tattered to shreds, her entire back a stretched canvas of dozens and dozens and  _ dozens _ of lashings. No inch was spared, the long, thick strands of cuts thinning only at the corners of her shoulders. There were chunks of red sand salting the wounds. It looked intentional. Her back was only partially healed, but the recent movement had caused some of the deep red scales to split open, causing fresh blood and pus to slowly ooze down. At their silence, despite the gorey circumstances, Valyria chuckled weakly.

“I-I take it, it’s bad?” She breathed, glancing over her shoulder.

“Yeah um, fuck kid!” Beau grunted, looking disturbed as the girl continued to smile. She winced.

“Yeah...I don’t know if I’ll be of much help like this.” She admitted, almost guiltily.

“Just hold on, I can heal this as soon as we leave this room. I just need you to stay awake, okay?” Caduceus said. Valyria’s lips tightened but she nodded.

“We can’t send her out.” Keg said to Beau, frowning as she watched the kid struggle to stay upright even with the firbolg’ s help. “Even if she could walk, she’ll be by herself in Shady Creek. She won’t last a minute.”

“Well, we can’t risk leaving and getting caught sneaking back in.” Beau vocalized, frowning. “We’re already on a tight schedule as it is.”

“So we keep her with us!” Keg suggested. All four of them turned to look at her with varying mixes of surprise.

“You’re kidding right? We can’t just take a kid into a fight!” Beau hissed.

“We’re wasting time.” Caleb interrupted. “Caduceus, you carry her for now, ja? We can keep her safe if she’s with us, and then we can leave after finding everyone.”

Caduceus had been casting the entire time, the second they had left the room he grew a swath of glowing moss that blanketed the girl’s back in a warm glow. Her body tensed, then seemed to melt as the color returned to her face. The moss slowly writhered and fell off. The worst of her wounds were healed, but there was still a blanket of scars that would never fully disapear. When he was done he muttered something to the girl, which after some hesitation allowed him to help her onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking down at the party with a frown.

“You have friends here?” She asked, winded from the effort it took to move even that much.

“Ja, have you seen them?” Caleb asked hopefully. She frowned, seeming to come upon a realization that made her pause. 

“...what did they look like?” She said cautiously.

“Oh you know,” Nott said, “a  tall Amazonian woman that could snap your neck with her biceps, a blue tiefling that I’m pretty sure can do the same thing while eating a cupcake, and a  _ really _ scrawny, weak half-orc.” Her whole body perked up at the descriptions.

“Yes, yes! I’ve met them! They’re—“ she cut herself off, suddenly shrinking in on herself. She hid her face in Caduceus’s shoulder and finished in a much more diminished voice, “I-if they haven’t moved them then they’ll be in the—b-breaking room.”

No one liked the sound of that. 

“Do you know where that is?” Caleb pushed as gently as he could, but couldn’t hide the desperation in his voice. Valyria nodded.

“D-do you want me to show you?” She asked softly, meeting a group of pleading eyes. Her whole body tensed, but she nodded again.

“That’s great! Now we can actually find them!” Nott said, more optimistically. After all, now they had a guide. 


	2. End of the Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jester muses on recent events within the Sour Nest, only to be interrupted by her rescuers! As well as a familiar face that she thought was dead...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rewriting the chapter I hate with 2 hours to spare before the day ends when I should be studying? Aye.
> 
> Time for some violence~!
> 
> Seriously, this one’s pretty gory (sleep-deprivation makes me a little heavy-handed) so if you don’t want to read a graphic torture scene just skip the parts guarded by ~~~~~~~~. You’ve been warned….
> 
> Trigger Warning
> 
> —Heavy Violence
> 
> —Detailed torture
> 
> —Forced spell-use
> 
> —Death
> 
> —SPOILERS(duh)

(Jester’s POV) 

Jester lied quietly in the shared jail cell, too sore to sit upright. It was still dark, everyone else inside the room was still passed out. Whatever magic kept them passed out had worn off hours ago, but everyone was too  tired and worn-out to even try getting up, focusing more on getting a couple more minutes of r eprieve, trying to ignore what was coming soon. Most of them had given up already.

Not her though. In a small act of defiance she sat upright, despite the creaking protest of her knees and elbows. Jester knew for certain they were going to escape, they had to! Just a little while longer before the others got here, and they were smarter than these dickheads. They had a solid chance of winning. Okay, maybe they weren’t  _ that _ strong, but they could do it! They had to. The Traveler promised he’d help them. Besides, she wasn’t alone down here, she still had Fjord, and Yasha! And... 

Her mood plummeted as she glanced at the empty shackles to her right. Right. Valyria...She quickly looked away, biting her lip. 

It felt so empty now that the little tiefling was gone. With her disappearance the whole room had an even heavier weight to it. A soggy tarp that trapped everyone beneath the uncomfortable truth. She had survived down here longer than anyone, tried to keep up moral despite the circumstances but now? Jester tried not remembering it, but she had a  vividly accurat e imagination. 

~~~~~~~~

(Flashback)

“Jessy, Jessy wake up!” Fjord hissed.

“Hm?” Jester blinked, then groaned. It was already morning? She started dragging herself upwards, only to notice that someone had added a new series of locks all along the iron bars, and five guards were waiting down here. That’s weird.

Fully awake now, her eyes started scanning the cells, trying to figure out why the sudden increase in security when she noticed someone was missing. 

“Fjord? Where’s—“

Before she could finish her sentence there were footsteps. Thundering down the stairwell, came Lorenzo, dragging a flailing Valyria by the scruff of her hair. Jester’s stomach sank. She looked so scared.

“Well everybody! Looks like we’ve got an early session today.” The girl snatched herself away from his grip, only for one of the guards to restrain her as she tried scuttling away. He punched her in the stomach, a muffled cough. Jester saw that her mouth was gagged and her hands were twitching weirdly. What had happened?

“H-hey,” Jester started to move forward but Fjord stopped her. She shot a glare at him but at severity on his face she paused.

“We’ll only make it worse.” He hissed. 

“Anyway, someone here got the bright idea to try sneaking out.” Lornezo had her in his grip again, this time with both of her hands bent painfully behind her back. She kept thrashing, even as his hands tightened. Her eyes darted up to Jester’s, and behind the fear she could see guilt flashing over them. 

“Now, not only is this, impolite, but also you’re second strike my girl.” He jerked her closer, and whispered something only the two of them could hear. Whatever it was, it made her eyes go wide and she struggled harder. 

“So I guess we’ll have us an early show. And here were have a very enthusiastic volunteer. The braziers were being stoked to life. Valyria shook her head, and the knot of the fabric must have come loose because it slow down her neck. She gasped out,

“I’m sorry guys I’m so sorry! I tried waking you up but I couldn’t—“ She was cut off by a forceful shove. Her head smacked against the table with a sickening ‘thud’ and she fell with a wet cough. 

Without a care Lorenzo dragged her to her feet and tossed her to the guards. She looked dazed, breathing shakily as she kept shaking. Lornzo turned to them,

“Now, let’s show you just what happens when y’all get any smart ideas…”

Powerless to stop it, Jester watched with growing dread as Valyria’s arms were strung up on chains that stretched them out. She kept murmuring, then started pleading before Protto dragged the gag back over her mouth, cutting her off. Lorenzo took his time perusing his library of tools, humming contemplatively as he picked up and put down each element of torture. She was crying now, tears carving paths in the dirt smudged along her cheeks. Their eyes met, and Jester couldn’t take it. 

“Please, please don—“ A hand clamped over her mouth, Fjord. She tried to get out of his grip, but he kept her pinned back.

It went on for an hour. Lorenzo kept whipping her, over and over without pause. Whenever Valyria seemed ready to feint, or her wounds were too raw he ordered Jester to heal them, only to start all over. Jester was powerless to disobey. He promised he’d only make it last longer if she refused, and if she didn’t, then he’d just keep going until he killed her! She grew sick, hands shaking in revulsion as she was made to heal her over and over again, just to watch him tear her open again. Her screams muffling into hoarse whimpers.

Finally,  _ finally _ Lorenzo seemed satisfied, setting the whip aside. Jester allowed herself a moment to relax, her shoulders slumping as she braced herself to heal her one more time. Or so she thought. Lorenzo hummed to himself, leaning next to the now lit brazier and stuck his hand into the cooling embers and pulled out a crushed handful of burning ash. He didn’t so much as flinch as he walked back to the girl. 

Knowing what he was going to do, Valyria started to struggle again, feet sliding on the wet floor. Jester struggled against Fjord, unable to help herself from screaming as he rubbed it into the open wounds. 

Valyria’s eyes popped out of her skull as a soul-shattering wail rang through the room, barely muffled by the gag. Then her eyes rolled back and she fell limp, still held upright by the restraints.

“Right then,” Lorenzo brushed the remaining ash off his bloodied hand, flicking his head to Ruzza and a guard, who began unclipping the manacles, “I know a lost cause when I see it. A shame…the girl could’ve been fine contraband if she behaved.” His eyes shot back to everyone in the cell. Jester glared at him, wishing with everything in her power to dig her nails into his skull. Without thinking she bit into Fjord’s hand and when he pulled back, leapt towards the bars.

“You fucking coward! I’m going to fucking kill you!” Jester shouted, shaking the metal bars that didn’t so much as budge. Invigorated by her outcry, a few of the other prisoners were inspired to cry out at this newest atrocity. Lorenzo’s grin fell. He stared at them all, eyes burning with cold disdain, squelching the little shard of bravery the prisoners held. Then he smiled. 

“Wait.” He said to his minions. They stopped, and a mix of hope and dread churned in Jester’s stomach, which turned sour as he strode towards the unconscious girl. He cupped the side of her head, hands curling around her right horn to lift her head upright, then turned his gaze back to all of them with a raised eyebrow.

“...if she was such a close friend to all of y’all.” a series of tiny crackling sounds started filling the room. Jester could only watch with growing horror as he slowly snapped her horn in half, blood squirting from the remaining stump.

“Here, a memento of your friend.” He tossed the stump into the cell, which clattered across the stone and skittered to a stop in front of Jester. She fell to her knees, staring ahead in pure shock.

“Let this be a lesson to all of you.” Lorenzo said as they dragged her up the stairs. “There is no escape.”

Jester could only stare straight ahead. The horn resting at her knees.  _ Traveler….please, please help us... _

~~~~~~~~

Fjord started to stir, snapping her from the memory. Jester forced her expression to brighten as his eyes fluttered open and quickly met with hers. His face pale from fatigue but otherwise alert. That encouraged her to shimmy up to the half-orc, giving him a hopefully optimistic smile despite the gag in her mouth. He tried to reciprocate. Key word, tried to. In reality he was probably grimacing.

_ “Oh well, it’s all the thought that counts.” _ She thought, squirming into his chest so she could feel his heartbeat. The chains around his wrists clattered awkwardly as he shifted his arms to encompass her tiny frame. Silence followed.

She wanted to talk to him. Wanted to talk about so many things. The past couple days were a nightmare, she just wanted it all to be over! But she had to stay strong. She had to cheer him up after all. Though, secretly, a selfish part of her wished the gags were gone just so he could comfort her instead.  Because if she was being honest with herself, she was getting really, really desperate. But they said nothing. Simply sitting in their own, quiet worlds while they waited. And waited.

After a while, the weight in the air shifted, making her spine straighten. She wasn’t quite sure, but she was almost certain she could hear something. Like footsteps. But they were hurried, frantic, not the normal parad of self-assurance she had gotten used to hearing. Their eyes met, and both were aware that  _ something _ was coming. Fjord seemed to sense it before she did, already snapping his eyes to the entry.

Despite the circumstances her heart gave a little squeak when he shifted so she was behind him, even though they both knew if they wanted to take Jester they would. They both tensed as Ruzza and Protto dashed inside, but they didn’t seem interested in the pair. Fjord frowned slightly as Protto skittered under the table, cursing under his breath as he pulled out a crossbow. Jester’s eyes lit up.

This was it! They were actually here! She jerked her head to nod insistently at Fjord’s confusion, grunting towards Ruzza who was currently bleeding from her forehead. Fjord seemed to understand it too, and a spark of hope cracked in his eyes. They turned their gazed forward, but unfortunately they couldn’t see much other than the two slavers taking cover. 

“Hey fucking chrome dome!” A voice shouted from the top of the stairs. Jester’s eyebrow twitched. She didn’t recognize that voice. 

Gagged, the two of them couldn’t give a response and the two slavers didn’t seem interested, so silence was left to answer. Then someone came trotting down the stairs. 

Jester had to do a double take. She saw a dwarf in platemail and a face full of stubble clattering loudly down the staircase, but the noises were off. The sounds were out of sync, and didn’t get louder just—more chaotic. Like she was jumping in the platemail instead of walking in it.

Not two seconds passed before an arrow shot out from under the table, flying straight through the dwarf’s wrist. She didn’t even flinch, instead her hand merely popped off like a GANDALF. Another arrow went through her chest, and she fell over in a dramatic Shakespearean death before disappearing.

Jester could practically hear the crickets from here.

“Okay...that was fucking weird.” Protto grumbled.

A hiss. Then smoke. An explosion of light jolted out from the base of the stairs, followed by shouting,

“Ok—go go go!”

Beau?

The monk came dashing in, dogged by two crossbow bolts and a screaming Nott. 

“I mff mu!{I told you}!” Jester said through the gag, bouncing up. The chain jerked, pulling her back into Fjord who grunted at the sudden weight. She muffled a distracted apology, turning her focus on the fight. 

She wanted to jump in, she had to do something but her hands were literally tied behind her back! Okay, chained but still—

Leaping towards the bars, she tried jiggling the still makeshift locks, but to no avail.

**“Do not kill them.”** A voice interrupted her efforts. The hairs on the back of her neck stood, and she looked up to see a large, hulking form hovering in the air. She froze. Lorenzo. 

She had only seen it once, but once was enough to recognize his true form. A lifeless blue covered his skin, while his eyes glowed red like the embers of the braziers. He held his glave in one hand, a snarl stretching across his horned face as he spoke,

**“They’ve not earned the mercy I gifted their caladoscope friend. Let them bleed, and bring them in chains. Oh, the horrors you’ll see…”** He said this, directing his glowing red gaze up ahead. Everyone glanced around, as if they were looking for him.

What were they doing? He was right there! Then she realized that his voice had echoed from everywhere at once, and he was floating well above everyone’s head. They couldn’t see him! 

Jester struggled against the bars, trying and failing to get anyone’s attention as she tried, really tried to shout that he was right there! 

Someone else had the idea though.

“Beau! He’s behind you!” A little girl’s voice cried. Jester’s heart skittered. Valyria?

Beau barely managed to duck out of the way, Lorenzo’s glaive cracking down and embedding in the ground. She scattered back as the demon darted forward, giving Jester the perfect window to spot the owner of the voice.

A very tall firbolg covered in beautiful pastels was currently fighting with Ruzza. They were trading spells back and forth, not really seeming to hit each other with anything damaging. But there was someone on the tall person’s back, so small she could only identify her by the wild mess of black hair and ashy skin that stood out against the green armor.

She was alive! Thank the Traveler, of course Lorenzo was lying! Jester strained her neck, trying to get a better view of the kid as tried saying something. 

It was distracting as an explosion of fire erupted from the doorway, where Caleb was now standing with his hands outstretched. The flames surrounded Lorenzo from his perch in the air, but seemed to do nothing more than tickle at his feet. Lorenzo laughed.

**“Glad you can join us.”** He sneered.

“Uhhh, wie gehts?” The wizard said nervously, stepping back.

It’s not gonna do anything, it barely even scratched him! The urge to do something was screaming again. But sh e was helpless, she couldn’t do anything damn it! She turned to Fjord, who could only watch just as helplessly as Protto flung himself at Nott like a feral raccoon.

. . . . 

(Valyria’s POV)

Caduceus shot out a spell, hitting Lorenzo with a blast of radiant damage that seared into his shoulder. 

**“Ooh. That’s not gonna do.”** The demon tsked, suddenly vanishing from sight. Valyria’s breathing grew shallow, an overwhelming pressure constricting around her chest. Where was he? Where was he?! He was going to kill everyone, he was gonna kill them!

“Hold on, we’ll be ok!” Caduceus said, his words falling on deaf ears. He was moving, trying to shield her against the wall. The pressure grew tighter, blurring the world around her.

“Where’d he go?” Nott exclaimed.

“He’s still here, he’s still here!” She tried to warn them. A cold chuckle reverberated through the chamber,

**“Oh little girl, you’re making crafting this nightmare too easy.”**

A curl of blueish energy circled in front of Beau and Keg. In a brief instant Lorenzo appeared before the two, releasing a cone of ice from his maw.The spell hit everyone. The temperature in the room skyrocketed below freezing and ice exploded in the air. Valyria cried out, crystals seeping through her skin and forming crystals along her hair. She was lucky.

Everyone else was hit. Caduceus was knocked back, hitting her against the wall and she fell to the ground. The pressure was intense. She lifted her head, just in time to see Shakaste and Beau fall. They didn't get up.

“No!” The girl screamed, throwing out her hands. 

The pressure in her chest exploded. A shockwave of purple distortion crackled through her arms, exploding outward in a jet of glowing mist. It engulfed the entire room, entangling around Lorenzo, Shakaste, Beau, even circling Keg and Caduceus. 

Like hitting rewind, Lorenzo’s entire attack was reversed. The ice receded, rewinding back into his hand and flickering out of existence. Shakaste and Beau were lifted off the ground, returned to the table as ice pulled away from their bodies. The mist faded. Valyria’s hands twitched, and time returned to normal. Like nothing happened. Everyone in the room stumbled, even Lorenzo. The giant narrowed his, knowing full well what she did. A low growl rumbling in the back of his throat.

**“Oh, you’ll pay for that.”** He promised.

“Aaaaaay, buddy.” 

An echoing whoosh exploding from the staircase. Valyria turned her head, seeing Caleb launch a fire bolt. It engulfed Lorenzo’s shoulder, a brilliant explosion of red light. Keg followed with two hits to his torso. He stumbled back, actually straining to shrug off the injury.

“Oh, y’all being tricksey,” he hissed, “I like it!” 

Caduceus scooped Valyria into his arms, retreating to the table and pushing it over to give them some cover.  She was breathing hard. Her head was so heavy, everything was still so cold. The spell saved everyone, but that did nothing to stop the ice growing along her fingers. For a split second everything was going black.

Then there was a warmth, branching out from her shoulder. She blinked, looking up to see Mr. Clay’s hand, glowing slightly as he pulled the ice away. She heaved a sigh of relief, but was still so tired.

“Th-thank you.” She stammered, then turned her head around the corner to see what was happening.

Shakaste had released a bubble of energy that washed over everyone. She felt the healing wave and saw the wounds along everyone’s bodies fade away. Nott fired a crossbow, hitting Lorenzo. Was she imagining it, or was he actually losing?

Beau followed by hitting him. Again and again, striking along pressure points and ending with a palm strike to his nose. There was an audible crack, and the demon actually stumbled back. Keg was ready, reeling her hammer up high to swing into his arm. Lorenzo, now desperate, grabbed the warhammer and roared at her face,

**“Go on,** **_try it_ ** **!”**

“...Okay!” Keg took the opening, but he grabbed the other weapon.  The two were deadlocked, arms straining against each other. Both arms strained. Suddenly,  with a heave Keg slipped her warhammer away, managing to get at least one hit into his side. 

Another crackling roar filled the room as another fire bolt whizzed through the air. Lorenzo turned his head, and the flames engulfed it. An explosion of heat and light filled the room, the blazing inferno seeming to flare to life. There was a howl, one that dwindled down to nothing as the flames dispersed. Leaving nothing but a charred skull as the fire continued to crawl down his body.

The body fell, fading away to dust and blackened shale. The two women attacked one last time, shattering it to dust.

“You shouldn’t have killed my cat.” Caleb murdered, a strange emptiness in his voice as he stared at the ground.

“He… he’s actually dead.” Valyria leaned against the table as she stood, staring wide-eyed at the pile of ash. Keg fell to her knees, a soft sob escaping her lips.

They all stood there, taking in the fading adrenaline of the battle. Valyria kept glancing around, unable to fully register that it was over. Even though the demon was now a pile of ash beneath her feet, she still couldn’t shake the fog that coulded her thoughts away. 

Beau rushed over to one of the cells, leaning her head in to peer between the bars. 

“Oh my god, Yasha!” Everyone turned their full attention to that cell. The wizard, goblin, and dwarf all rushing over. Cadesues was at the other cage, peering inside. Valyria’s ears perked at the mention of the woman and she wanted to go over to make sure they were alright...but she was so tired. She just sat against the wall, panting as she watched people begin to shuffle out. There were only three she recognized.

Yasha was unconscious, and had to be hoisted over Fjord and Beau’s shoulder. Jester was currently hugging Nott, the two firing back and forth so fast she couldn’t keep track of what they were saying. 

A smile crossed Valyria’s face, and her eyes even grew a little misty. They were alright! Jester kept insisting that their friends were coming to save them and she wanted to believe it for so long, she couldn’t believe it actually happened! She finally allowed herself to relax, eyes growing heavy.

A comfortable haze drifted over her and she was about to let herself drift off, when a shadow fell over her shoulder. Her head jerked upwards, only to see Caduceus bending down so he wasn’t leaning over her. Despite his gentle expression, she couldn’t help but curl up defensively.

“Hey, are you ok?” He asked, sitting down next to her. She nodded, but could feel the edges of her vision growing blurry. She tried to shake it off. She wasn’t safe just yet.

“That was quite an impressive thing you did back there, saving those two and myself.” She tensed a t the mention of her magic, studying his expression for any familiar signs that she was in trouble. There was no predatory hunger, no exploitative calculations. It was simply kind. Gentle. Her body relaxed without her rea lizing it.

“Thanks I….I guess it was a good thing.” She admitted, flexing her fingers.

“Were you always able to…do things like that?” She shook her head, forcing herself to stand then then winced. She was feeling...pretty dizzy at the moment. At least her legs were working.

“Mhm, no I...I’ve just discovered it recently, actually.” She mumbled, then cursed herself. Why was she telling him this? The ringing was coming back. 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Caduceus started to worry, noticing her nodding off. 

“Yeah yeah, I’ll be fine. Just...just need to close my eyes for a...a minute...” 

Whatever mix of torture and anxiety, lack of sleep or the use of her magic pushed her over the edge. Valyria stumbled, the last thing she remembered was being caught in a pair of large, warm arms, and the relief that it was finally over…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll probably polish this chapter in the morning, so feel free to point out any inconsistencies. Also, Jester POV! Yay! This runthrough I’d like to do a couple more chapters within other character’s other than Valyria, so lemme know who’s thoughts you’d like to look through next! 
> 
> Also, next couple chapters are gonna be more focused on semi-angsty fluff and recovery, so grab some popcorn folks!


End file.
